Love Unceasing
by KeronianLibrary
Summary: A tragic misunderstanding causes Fuyuki to violently hate Momoka. How will the girl deal with the problems of everyday life while slowly winning back the trust of her one true love? Request by sarcasticToad.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Keroro Gunsou (Sgt. Frog) is not owned by me. It belongs to Mine Yoshizaki, the wonderful and skilled creator and to some extent, Funimation for making the dub. One of the few dubs that is actually quite good. Bless you, Funimation.

Note: This is a story by request from **sarcasticToad**.

Whose profile you can find at .net/u/2746899/

**Love Unceasing**

**Prologue**

Money had never been the barrier in any one of Momoka's eccentric schemes. From giant robots to amusement parks to dubious drugs, the heiress of the Nishizawa Empire had done it all. Many stared enviously at her massive fortune, but in reality, she would have traded it all away just to be together with Fuyuki, her one true love. Even with all the riches in the world, she could not accomplish the single thing she set her eye on: Fuyuki's heart.

Momoka paced back and forth for hours in her room trying to devise a new plan. Outside the window of the magnificent Nishizawa Manor, the sky displayed a pretty light show of deep purples tinged with orange. The setting sun shown dimly through the glass, casting a moody shadow over the floor, nature's personification of Momoka's mood. Everything she'd tried had ended up failing and costing her father millions. While not in any kind of financial trouble, she reasoned it was not going to be long before he wondered what she was doing that was costing so much money.

If on cue, a polite but urgent knock resonated from the door. Momoka stopped her pacing and opened the door to her butler, Paul Moriyama. Paul was a stoic but kind man. While it was assumed that he was getting up in the years, his skill at fighting had not diminished. Being a butler and a bodyguard at the same time was a tough task, especially for someone as connected as Momoka, but Paul had been doing it for as long as he could remember and no other job felt so right. Since he had been employed under the Nishizawas, he had groomed his mustache impeccably. Through much care, it had gained him extraordinary physical powers as well as much respect from his peers. He felt it was his personal duty to see Momoka and Fuyuki happily together and was always eager to share advice and provide backup when necessary should one of Momoka's plans fall flat. However, today, he wasn't feeling quite so chipper.

Clutched in his white gloved hand was a letter from Baio Nishizawa, owner of the Nishizawa Empire, arguably the single most powerful man in the world, and Momoka's father. In the mansion as well as a fair portion of the world, his word was law, and he let nobody forget it.

Momoka quickly took the letter and used a platinum jewel encrusted letter opener with a silver blade to carefully reveal its contents. Inside was a single slip of paper. Momoka was slightly worried. Normally when her father wanted to send her a message, he made a video message on a DVD and airdropped it to her balcony. This delivery thing with Paul seemed a bit…extreme, and way too formal.

"I'm not sure what it says, Ojou-sama," voiced Paul, slightly concerned, "but your father wanted me to deliver this to you personally, so it must be of the utmost importance."

Momoka wasted no more time and read the letter, her eyes getting wider and wider with horror at every line:

Dear Momoka,

Over the past year, I have provided you with infinite funds for your pleasure. I of course expected that you would use the money to make life pleasurable for you and your friends, but the expenses I have tallied up this year have been far beyond extravagant. I understand you have dealings with aliens, and that can be quite expensive, and I know that they do bring you lots of pleasure, but at over 936 quadrillion yen, you are going too far. What you spend on luxuries could pay for the American deficit many times over and that is where I draw the line. I have questioned Paul about your flagrant spending and he has not been able to provide an adequate answer which leads me to believe you're hiding something. Seeing that you have made no efforts to learn my trade of business, I can only assume that once I'm gone, the income of this empire will significantly fall. Therefore, I'm sure you can see the importance of maintaining a large fund for posterity. While I will still pay for your schooling and meals and you will still live in this mansion, all the money you desire for pleasure you will need to earn yourself. The terms of measure can be negotiated at a later time. I apologize, daughter, but my board and I all agree that you need to learn the value of money.

Love,

Your Father, Baio Nishizawa

Under the signature was the stamp of the Nishizawa Empire marking it as authentically coming from the man himself. Momoka slumped onto her bed. "Cut off from all funds? How am I going to get Fuyuki now?" she muttered to herself, re-reading the letter. Suddenly, she stopped halfway through. Her head twitched violently and the protruding curls of hair hardened into spikes.

**"PAUL YOU BASTARD!" **she screamed at the top of her lungs, **"WHY WERE YOU UNABLE TO TELL MY FATHER WHY I'VE BEEN SPENDING SO MUCH?"**

Roaring with fury, she launched herself at the butler who dodged quickly out of the way. In between swiftly avoiding hits, he managed to get in the words: "If he knew you spent 936 quadrillion yen chasing after one boy, what would he think of you?"

The words hit home. Momoka came to her senses and stood still, blinking for a few seconds. Then, without warning, she slumped over on her bed and began crying. Paul, who had grown to expect the sudden mood changes made no move to try and comfort her. She was liable to turn around and bite his head off, and after all, it was these kinds of situations that would make her as strong as her mother, the great wandering fighter Oka Nishizawa.

After around five minutes, even the composed and practiced Paul was beginning to feel a bit awkward. It was par for the course to see a depressed Ojou-sama after another failed plan, but this was something different.

The sun had finally set over the mountains and the final rays of sunlight leapt off the carpet and fled out of the window. A bluish dark pall covered the two in the room now. The only sounds were Momoka's quiet sobs and the settling of the house. The dishes had been done after dinner and her crew was being scarce. Paul stood there, patient and quiet.

Five more minutes past and one would believe Momoka would lose the ability to cry, but on and on it went, until Paul realized that he had two options: try and cheer up his charge, or change the tear soaked sheets. He put his hand on her shoulder making her twitch.

"What?"

"Ojou-sama…know that your personal guards and I will do everything in our power to assure your victory."

**"OH MAN HAVE I HEARD THAT ONE A LOT." **Paul jumped back, anticipation another blow from Dark Momoka, but to his utter surprise, she merely glared at him.

_So Ojou-sama really does have secrets that I know nothing about. The way I acted just then…by now, I should be able to flawlessly read her emotions…but still, what was going on._

If there was any indication of something going horribly wrong, it was when Dark Momoka gave up hope. Suddenly, Momoka leaped up and grabbed Paul by the shirt: another unexpected movement! Paul poised to dodge a rain of blows, but saw none coming. It took him a few seconds to realize that regular Momoka was in control.

"Paul!" she cried, a renewed stream of tears cascading down her face and dampening her expensive blouse, "I tried every plan ever and nothing works, and now, I don't even have the money to try again!" slowly, she let go of Paul and silently slumped to the floor. The loyal butler quickly took a step back and knelt by his charge. While his face remained impassive, he felt a deep sadness for the being at his feet. No. This was no way for the heiress of the Nishizawa Empire to act.

"Get up."

Momoka's face snapped up. She had never heard Paul use that kind of commanding tone before, and it made her feel distinctly uneasy.

"There is one plan you haven't yet tried, and it is the most obvious as well."

The girl said nothing, but the look on her face was that of utter attention.

"Forget the money. You can woo Fuyuki without it."

"How?"

"Do what other girls do. Just get him in the right mood, and confess."

Momoka's face contorted with disappointment. "I…if I could do that, I never would have needed the money, right? I…I can't do that…"

"Then I apologize, Ojou-sama."

The two stared at each other for a long time. The room was now dark, illuminated only by the starlight. Slowly, Momoka shifted into a sitting position. Paul stared stonily forward. The girl thought back to Paul's previous assignment the other day. Security was one of Baio's top concerns so Paul had spent the last two days testing the agility, strategy, and intelligence of Momoka's private guards. Essentially, he had been on a military mission for over 48 hours. Upon closer inspection, Momoka realized that Paul had heavy dark circles underneath his eyes. _He may be strong, and he may be well trained, but he is getting old. He doesn't need this kind of stress…maybe…I'll try it._

"I will try, Paul."

"You will try what, Ojou-sama?"

"I will try to…to confess to Fuyuki-kun directly!" Momoka blurted, her face blushing beet red.

"What an excellent idea," commented Paul as if it were her who came up with the idea, and walked out of the room saying in a backwards way, "Your personal guard and I will attempt to assist you in anyway. Of course, you cannot use any money you didn't earn yourself."

Momoka waited until her butler was gone before walking to her desk and pulling out a sheet of paper. Slowly and deliberately, she moved a pen to the paper.

No, a pen would never do; to permanent. She quickly put the pen away and pulled out a pencil. As if one mistake would send her hurtling to her doom, Momoka wrote out: Fuyuki-kun Date Plan. On the "n" in "plan", she pressed too hard and the pencil tip broke, scattering pieces of graphite all over the clean white paper. In shocked response, her other hand moved instinctively backwards and the paper ripped in half. The tear was right between the words "date" and "plan". Momoka's brain wasted no time realizing the ironic foreshadowing in the situation.

_This is never going to work unless I force it! I love Fuyuki-kun! I love him more than anything else in the whole world! I would give up my position as heiress in a second if I could be with him. I can so easily admit it to myself, why can't I say it to others?_

Determinedly, she reached for another sheet of paper but felt only the cold wood bottom of her desk. Of course. The torn mess on the ground was the last sheet. How very fitting. Glancing at the clock, Momoka realized to her shock, that it was past midnight. The plan could wait. But…

_It can't wait! If I leave it up to what I want to do, it'll never get done! I have to do this tonight. A challenge: that's what it's going to be. If I truly love Fuyuki-kun, I'll make this plan tonight._

**7 Hours Later**

A respectful knock came from the door. If Momoka had heard it, she didn't care. "Ojou-sama, are you presentable?" It was Paul, fresh from his sleep, he had wasted no time getting the mansion back into order. Paul knocked again, but there was still no answer. Immediately, the butler feared the worst. Positioning himself by the door, he lunged forward and the lock snapped. Whether it was thieves, guerilla forces, or foreign military, Paul was ready to save his charge.

**"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" **Momoka screamed, pounding the desk. The paper she had in front of her ripped and fluttered to the ground. She made a desperate grab for it, but the wind picked it up and carried it out the window. Lazily, it drifted on the breeze, suspended just beyond her reach. It dropped low for a second, and Momoka lunged at it again, but the paper twirled upward and disappeared behind the mansion.

Paul felt rather guilty as he looked upon Momoka's prostrate body. At first he suspected that she was crying. Moving forward, he bent down to try and console her. However, upon closer inspection, he found that she was fast asleep. Gently, Paul picked her up carried her over to the bed. "I'm glad you've been giving your plan some thought, but don't overdo it."

**Fuyuki:**

"Nishizawa-san is absent today?"

"Yes, her butler called her in sick today."

"I hope it isn't anything serious."

"I hope so too. Her butler refused to elaborate on her condition beyond 'she needs rest,' so I don't know what to think."

"Is there something I can do?"

"Ah…yes. Can you take Momoka's homework to her house? That way, she won't have that much catch-up when she returns."

"Of course!"

Fuyuki left school with a small folder filled with papers. He was slightly worried. Momoka had access to the best doctors the world had to offer, so it was a rare occurrence when she had to stay home from school. Fuyuki silently prayed that it wasn't anything serious.

Less than half an hour later, Fuyuki arrived at the Nishizawa Mansion. Pressing the call button on the outside, Fuyuki was buzzed in by Paul who graciously led him inside. "She is waiting upstairs."

Quietly, the boy climbed the huge grand staircase and padded down gold inlaid halls to Momoka's room. He knocked, and turned the handle. What happened after, he couldn't really remember.

**Momoka:**

Momoka wouldn't be bothered. The last seven times Paul had tried to get her out of bed, she had put up such a fuss that he was forced to leave the room to avoid setting off the burglar alarms. Finally, she was getting some peace and quiet. Rolling over on her bed, she stared at the ceiling. A life-size picture of Fuyuki had been pasted up there so that she could see him the moment she woke up. Flipping over again, she sighed loudly into her pillow. The world was cruel for sure.

Barely a minute past when Paul knocked on the door once again. "Ojou-sama, you have-"

**"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"**

The noise quickly stopped. Momoka gritted her teeth. The pent up rage building since morning was at a breaking point. "I swear. The next time I hear a knock on my freakin door…"

Momoka lay back down, still fuming. Perhaps wanting to be alone was a concept that Paul could just not grasp. _Whatever, _she reasoned, _This isn't the first time Paul has pissed me off and it certainly won't be the last._ Inwardly, she smiled. Father could take away my funding, but he couldn't take away Paul. He could be a nuisance sometimes, but an irreplaceable friend nonetheless.

A sudden knock on the door erased all happy feelings. Grinding her teeth, Momoka stood up and slowly walked toward the door. She was hot with anger, steam literally coming out of her ears. Then, to her horror, she saw the handle turn. That was the final indignity. Paul could knock and call to her all she wanted, but he would NOT enter her room without permission. Lining up a punch, she leaped forward just as the door opened.

The hit connected with sickening accuracy. Momoka's smile lit up with delight. Even her butler with his inhuman reflexes and supernatural mustache could not dodge her blow of fury. Suddenly, a clattering noise came from upstairs and a distraught Paul came sliding into her room.

"What?"

"Ojou-sama! What did you..."

Fuyuki lay in a sprawled wreck on the floor. Papers were scattered every which way. Some had been plastered to the wall, while others had been picked up by the wind and carried down the hallway. There was a beat of utter silence. Fuyuki's head shifted a bit as his body settled revealing a large bloodstain on the wall.

Momoka screamed and took a step backwards. Then another, then another. What had she done? Was he? No. He couldn't be. But…

Momoka took one last step backward and flipped off the railings of her balcony two stories up. At first she wondered what was going on. Then, she felt that sensation. That falling sensation. Fear gripped her mind like a vise, but it was kind of blissful. After all, she certainly deserved it.


	2. Day 1: Waiting Game

I'll be writing this in a different style. Beginning every chapter will be writing in the first person from Momoka's diary. The rest will be narrative.

Note: This is a story by request from sarcasticToad.

Whose profile you can find at .net/u/2746899/

**Day: 1 – Waiting Game**

_Dear Diary,_

_ I love Fuyuki. I just need to get that out of my system before I can properly write. So much happened yesterday that I decided that unless I write it down, my head will explode. Nothing before that really matters. What does, is that yesterday, I hurt my dear Fuyuki badly. It was a mistake! A mistake! But I'm not sure if he will understand that it wasn't meant for him. I'm going to go to see him at the hospital today._

_ I took another day off from school. I wonder if I should feel guilty…but I don't. Everything is in a haze around here anyway. Once again, I owe Paul my life for catching me as I fell out of the window. I honestly don't know what I would do without him. What I do know is that I've been thanking every God I can think of for saving Fuyuki's life. It was a mistake. I won't ever make that kind of mistake again._

Momoka quietly shut her diary to the sound of a car honking down below. Quickly, she ran to her closet and picked out her best dress. Fuyuki was forgiving but she had never hurt him this bad before.

The car ride to the hospital was stifling. Paul was driving in front. For some reason, he kept glancing back at her without saying anything. It made Momoka nervous, but her capacity to worry was focused on Fuyuki so she dismissed it as her own overactive imagination.

Upon reaching the hospital, Momoka jumped out and ran for the sliding glass doors. Paul did not follow but stood back by the car, his face was scrunched up in an expression the girl had never seen before; was it pain? If it was pain, it was a deep emotional scar, not a flesh wound. Glancing once more at Paul to ask his permission, the butler nodded his head and Momoka was gone.

**Paul**

Paul sank deeply in the driver's seat. Perhaps he should have gone with her. A single tear ran down his cheek which was left unchecked. It would only be minutes before Momoka would find out the terrible truth. Fuyuki was physically just fine. His vitals functioned normally, and he reacted to all the reflex tests. It was a mystery then, why he wouldn't wake up. A brain scan was conducted. The worst possible theory was confirmed: a chunk of his brain had been irreparably damaged. When he had hit the wall, his capacity to have conscious thought had been splattered against his skull. Though the doctors worked frantically, in the end, he lay on the bed unchanged, linked in more ways than one to life support.

Paul would have instantaneously given his life so that Fuyuki would be well again. As Momoka's butler, bodyguard, and close friend, he was prepared to go to any length to fulfill her happiness. This…this was out of his control and he hated it. An accident: one moment of foolish inattention and his world had changed forever. He doubted that Momoka would ever fully recover from the shock, and he berated himself for not having the courage to tell it to her rather than have her find out. It was all too much.

Tears flowed freely down Paul's face now. Nurses milling around outside carrying stuffed manila folders took little notice of Paul. Crying was a common occurrence in that part of the hospital.

Night fell, and the streetlights clicked on bathing the Nishizawa limousine in a pale incandescent yellow. The air was chill, and a swath of leaves tumbled gently down the sidewalk. On his right, the bustle of cars and the rumble of the subway below lulled Paul into a light snooze. He hadn't expected Momoka to come down, at least not yet, and was perfectly willing to wait days for her.

With nothing to do, the butler woke himself and pulled out his phone and dialed Baio Nishizawa's number. It rang nine times before going to voicemail. What had he expected? Even with the Nishizawa's skilled private healthcare team, nothing could be done. This kind of brain restoration was beyond that of humans. _Besides, Momoka doesn't have her funding anymore. Even if we could help him…we couldn't without the funds. _Paul stared up at the dark sky and thought hard but came up with no answers.

_I've always been able to help Momoka with her problems, but this time…this time, I don't know…_ Paul wept anew.

**Momoka **

It was family only. Momoka tried to persuade the nurses that she was family, but when they asked Natsumi who was silently crying inside, she gave Momoka such a dangerous look that Momoka quickly backed down. _I guess they heard the story already._

"H-how is he?" she asked tentatively, peering around the corner at Natsumi who refused to look up.

There was an uncomfortable silence in which the two girls looked down at their shoes. A couple of minutes passed before Natsumi switched her gaze out the window. "Fuyuki's alive, but he will never recover. Not even the aliens can do anything. He'll be on life-support forever."

Momoka collapsed to her knees, barely breathing. In the background, she could distinctly hear the cry of a relieved mother. It was funny to think that any happiness could still exist in the world. She expected to cry, but the tears never came. Shakily regaining her ability to stand, she staggered to the exit. Momoka had no idea where her legs were taking her but she let them lead. The world was in a daze like her brain didn't know what to do. She was sad, but it was something more than that.

Momoka wracked her mind in an attempt to try and identify the feeling sweeping through her body. Was it despair? No, it was making her feel empty, but it was something else. Anger? Closer, but still not quite… Suddenly, she had it. It was right in front of her since she had slammed her love against the wall.

"I hate myself," and she realized that her feet had brought her to the hospital roof.

She walked to the edge and looked down. It was extremely high up. The streetlights down below looked like the flicker of a mass of fireflies. The wind whistled through her hair sweeping it across her face.

She felt herself tipping forward. Any other day she would have jumped back, but the only thing she could concentrate on was Fuyuki. Her body shifted forward passed the point of no return. She was falling. Momoka honestly didn't care. What was the point anyway?

A strong grip closed on her arm and she was ripped from her mind back into reality. With a yell, the figure above her swung her around and she landed roughly back on the roof. When her breathing was back under control, she opened her eyes. The angry face of Natsumi swam into focus.

"I figured you might pull something like that. What were you thinking? What would Fuyuki think if he saw you doing that?"

"I...I…I'm so sorry!"

The tears came now.


	3. Day 2: Requests

Once again: readers…give me requests if you have any :D

Note: This is a story by request from sarcasticToad.

Whose profile you can find at .net/u/2746899/

**Day: 2 – Requests**

_Dear Diary,_

_ I'm feeling better today. I have a plan and this time it WILL work. It has to. I can't afford to…anyway, here it is! I'm going to ask Kururu to somehow fix Fuyuki's brain! I guess it sounds pretty basic and obvious, but Kururu said he couldn't when the Hinatas asked him. However, knowing that bastard I'm sure he was holding out on them. Though I hate...I HATE to have to use my strength again, for Fuyuki,_

_**FOR FUYUKI I'D DO ANYTHING!**_

_ Get it? I love him! I love him more than anything. I know I must sound redundant and weird, but it's true and it's because of him that I started writing in the first place. I can't imagine a world where I go to school and he isn't there. I can't imagine a world where I just sit in the occult club room alone._

_ My Dad and even Paul sometimes fail to see the value of Fuyuki's actions. They obviously haven't spent as much time thinking about him. Of course they haven't. To me, everything Fuyuki does for me is special. When he greets me in the morning, it's all I can do to still my heart enough to say hi back. Someday, I hope to be able to call him Fuyuki instead of Fuyuki-kun when I speak to him._

_ I'm sure Kururu has something he isn't saying. He has to. After my incident on the roof, guards have been posted outside my room. Paul didn't think I would notice but he installed a camera in my room. I think they're trying to make sure I don't try to…you know. When I think of how close I was to death yesterday…I'm not sure how I feel. I guess I just wish I could have taken Fuyuki's pain on myself._

_ I want a time machine._

_ Fuyuki._

_ I'm sorry. I hurt you really bad. I don't…I don't…_

- Here, Momoka's writing is smudged with tears.

The Hinatas weren't home when Momoka barged through the front door. They were probably visiting Fuyuki in the hospital. Momoka wished she could be in two places at once. This was plenty more important though. If a cure was found, then nobody had to be at the hospital. Climbing down the ladder to Keroro's room, she found a certain irony in asking alien invaders to assist the very humans they were supposed to be enslaving. If there was going to be any enslaving today, Momoka swore, it would be Kururu who would be begging for mercy.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside Kururu's huge lab entrance shaped like him. "Egotistical little…"

Momoka pressed the call button.

There was no answer, of course. The crafty Sergeant Major wasn't going to make it easy. The doors were metal, mined on a Keron and reinforced using the latest technology to create a light yet extremely sturdy material far superior to titanium. Or, they were, until Momoka kicked them in.

"KURURU! WHERE ARE YOU?"

She suspected he might be in hiding, but there he was, sitting comfortably on his swivel chair, a nasty grin plastered onto his yellow face. Despite the anger, Momoka felt no small amount of relief seeing Kururu. If there was anyone currently on the planet who could cure the un-curable, it was the Sergeant Major.

She made it brief: "Save Fuyuki."

"No can do."

"…what?"

"No. Can. Do."

Silence.

"Alright. See, Fuyuki's brain was damaged in a really critical place. To put it in words that even you might understand, he's gone. Even if I were to completely heal his brain and remove any trace of what YOU did to him, I doubt he would be able to function. His body has already shut down, see, and once that happens, there's really no way to bring him back. Not even with the current stuff they got on Keron, ku ku ku…"

"I don't believe you."

"Your loss. Next time, make sure you check who you're kicking. By the way, I expect you to pay for my poor door."

"I don't believe you," tears began welling up in Momoka's eyes.

"Whatever. Jeez…Pekoponians and their stupid emotions…ku ku ku…"

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Momoka jumped on top of Kururu and began shaking him by the shoulders, tears falling in earnest. "There has to be…there has to be SOME way! I can't go on living knowing that…that I've…killed…"

"Too bad," Kururu shook her off.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! I KNOW…I KNOW YOU CAN MAKE HIM RIGHT! DON'T MESS WITH ME! DAMN IT!"

"Silence…you're annoying me."

Momoka became silent, almost at once. Kururu, who had swiveled around and begun typing once again, paused for a moment and listened. Momoka's breathing was ragged and the spot that she had grabbed him was tingling with the girl's sweat.

"I…I'll do anything," her voice was a quiet whisper now. Facing away from her, Kururu took off his glasses and wiped them on a cleaning rag. When he flipped around again, he was stunned to see the richest girl in the world humbled in a full bow. As he stared, Momoka lifted her head slightly and the Sergeant Major got a good look at her face.

He hadn't noticed before but there were heavy dark circles around her eyes. _I guess she hasn't been sleeping…typical for a pekoponian…self-destructive as usual… _Her mouth was slack and her face was smeared with the grime of several days. Canals made by tears had cut through the dirt and spiraled off her face. _How did she, the heiress of Nishizawa, let herself get like this?_

It was her eyes that did it. Normally, they were so wide and full of life. They were the eyes of a proud person, even though she was shy, they shown with inner confidence and resolve.

They were dull now, red from the crying. No matter how much Kururu stared; he could detect no trace of the power that had previously resided there. Reluctantly, sympathy welled up in Kururu's heart and began to force its way to the surface. The Sergeant Major clenched his teeth. He had no part in this little fit of drama. It would pass anyway…wouldn't it?

"You'd do anything?"

"Yes."

For that one second, Momoka's eyes lit up with hope again. The sight of it struck Kururu again. _How could this little girl inspire such a pulse of emotion within_ _me?_ Kururu's glasses began to fracture, a tiny crack on the side spider webbed through the entire lens.

Momoka shifted her head down and bowed once again, now completely prostrate. Tears were once again flowing dampening the ground.

The glasses shattered, the sharp pieces of glass scattering on the ground. Momoka quickly looked up. Kururu's red eyes stared back at her. He knew he had lost.

"There is…there is one thing I can try…I'm pretty sure it won't work though…"


	4. Day 3: Unpleasantries

You got requests? (It doesn't even have to be a Keroro fic idea either…) Tell me and if I know that anime or whatever you're talking about, I'll try to write something. An author must always turn to his audience…if he's not making them happy, then there is no point.

**Day: 3 – Un-pleasantries **

_Dear Diary,_

_ Kururu is preparing his stuff. We're going to bring back Fuyuki together. I don't know exactly what made him decide to help me, but I'm not complaining! Everything looks brighter this morning! Tomorrow morning will be even brighter with Fuyuki next to me, though._

_ I gotta apologize to the Hinata family for causing them so much trouble. Especially Natsumi…she saved my life, didn't she? I'm really hopeless without Fuyuki, aren't I? Ha! I just wanted to write that…_

_ That reminds me…I'm going to be Fuyuki's bride someday! I honestly can't wait. I guess Fuyuki still doesn't know how I feel about him, though. That is a problem isn't it? Of course, it's not like I haven't tried before. I've tried so many times; I can't even count them on all my fingers and toes. Persevere! Strive! Achieve! That's what Paul always tells me anyway. He's been around longer than I have, so he probably knows what's best…_

_ OK! That's what I'm going to do. When Fuyuki is back, I promise that I'll be more honest about my feelings in front of him. Diary, you are witness to the New Momoka! Please give me the strength to do this!_

_ Oh…Kururu is calling me right now. We're going to do it!_

Momoka hurriedly closed her diary and descended to the first floor of the Nishizawa Mansion. The sun was on its upward rise and the early beams of light breached the heavy walls and shone in through the windows. Mornings were very peaceful and the time that Momoka liked best. Someday, she hoped she could greet the morning from her room, Fuyuki by her side.

Blushing at the thought, the girl put her hand on the front door, only to be knocked aside when they suddenly burst open. It was Fuyuki's comatose body on a gurney being pushed by six of her bodyguard squad, Kururu standing over it all with a megaphone. "Put the body in the middle of the room! Give it space!"

Several cries of "Sir yes sir!" could be heard as the men rushed around grabbing surgeon tools and sterile bandages. Kururu stopped them quickly, "You think I'm going to cut him open? How barbaric do you think I am?" The men quickly dropped what they were doing and left the room.

"Tch…Idiots."

"Um…"

"Oh, you're here…ku ku ku…perfect."

"I-I can leave you alone if you need privacy."

"No. You need to be here for this to work."

"Eh?"

Kururu pulled a briefcase from the mess of surgical equipment and set it on the ground. Pulling a remote control from a hidden pocket, he pressed the button. At once, the case popped open and a huge laser gun supported by two poles sprouted out, aiming at Fuyuki. Momoka quickly stepped back in shock.

"What…what is that?"

"Wait…ku ku ku…if you tell anybody about this, I'll have to kill or at least painfully torture you (before killing you)!"

"I won't! I swear!"

"This is my greatest invention…thus far, at least. There's an official name, but it would probably make your puny brain explode, so let's just call this the wish gun. As you may have suspected, the mind as well as (shudder) emotions, are the strongest forces in the universe. You put your hand on the scanner and your finger will be pricked. A nanobot enters your blood stream and goes to your brain. It won't be pleasant, but as long as your only thought is your love for Fuyuki, the nanobot will pick it up and relay it to the gun. It will fire and heal anything that ails him."

"THAT'S INCREDIBLE! Is that all I need to do?"

"Well…mere thought will not be sufficient in this case. Some of the essence from your healthy brain will be needed, partly as a blueprint, partly as an energy source. Don't worry, there will be absolutely no brain draining side effects. Unfortunately."

Momoka began to sweat. "Maybe…maybe somebody else should give the blueprint of their brain…somebody smarter, maybe?"

"Somebody who loves Fuyuki more than you do? Tell me who this is?"

"Oh yeah…"

"Ku ku ku…nobody is making you do this. Your choice."

"Let's do it."

Kururu motioned for Momoka to put her hand on the scanning surface. "Whatever happens, just keep calm. I'm telling you now, it's going to hurt."

The moment her finger touched the surface, a probe pricked her finger. Momoka winced, but kept silent. _Concentrate! I love Fuyuki. I love Fuyuki. LOVE! FUYUKI! LOVE=FUYUKI! C'mon Fuyuki, get better! I love you!_

"Good. Now taking a blueprint of the brain. Brace yourself."

While the first prick at unleashed a nanobot into her system, hundreds more were needed to quickly map her brain. A hundred more needles poked into Momoka's unsuspecting hand.

**"DAMN! WHAT THE HELL!"** Dark Momoka quickly took over as she looked at a small trickle of blood that was spilling off the scanning surface.

"Shit. Well…can't say I didn't warn her. This is going to be bad."

Momoka woke up on the ground. All of a sudden, she gripped her head as an explosive pain passed through. A glass of weird liquid was pushed forcefully down her throat. The pain began to fade.

"Keron's painkillers are so much faster than the ones here…ku ku ku…sorry about that."

The girl pulled herself shakily into a sitting position. Then, it all came flooding back. The accident, the wish gun, FUYUKI! "WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID I BLACK OUT?"

"You turned into your dark form."

"Huh? Wait, WAS THAT BAD?"

"I had to put you away with a hit to the head before you caused any serious damage. Even so, I think I was a bit too late. See for yourself."

With dread, Momoka looked up at the table where Fuyuki had been lying just minutes before. He was sitting up. The body looked pretty much the same as when he had been perfectly healthy a few days back. His face was different. It was a grimace of anger tinged with excitement.

Momoka blushed wildly as she looked into his face, then jumped and ran towards his arms. A hand descended quickly and she was on the ground, the sting of the slab making her ears ring.

** "Don't touch me, woman."**

"WHAT?"

Kururu stood up, interjecting, "The nanobots were taking a blueprint of your brain. That can be influenced by your current emotions. If you had stayed normal, it would have been likely that Fuyuki would wake up loving you. Since you went dark, a Dark Fuyuki has awoken in Fuyuki's conscience. Not a big deal. The real Fuyuki is still ther-"

Kururu slid down the wall, instantly unconscious, broken glass from his mangled glasses littering the floor. Dark Fuyuki stood up, fist still smoldering from punching Kururu, **"I AM the real Fuyuki."**

Momoka pushed herself up from the ground. Surely this Dark Fuyuki knew her just like how Dark Momoka loved Fuyuki as well. "Hello there! Um…my name is Nishizawa Momoka…but you already know that, right? " she giggled uncomfortably.

Dark Fuyuki looked down at Momoka on the floor for a second, before reaching down and picking her up by the collar. **"All I know about you is that you nearly killed me. I went to see you…the other me went to see you, and you viciously attacked him."**

Even in fear, the furious look Fuyuki was giving her made her blush. Dark Fuyuki was definitely more "hot" then the normal. "Um…what are you going to do with me?"

**"I've tried to kill you from the second I picked you up, but something stops me every time. Must be the other me still putting up a fight. Oh well. In due time…"**

Momoka found herself flying across the Nishizawa Mansion foyer. She hit the wall and slid down, barely conscious. In the haze, Momoka could faintly see Dark Fuyuki leave the room. All of a sudden, she hated herself even more for thinking the dark version was hotter. She hated herself for losing control during the blueprint. She hated herself for everything. Crying…what else could she do?

As the tears spilled over the ground, she lost the strength to stay conscious.


	5. Day 4 to 7: Introspection

To keep switching from Apocalypse Now mode to Love Unceasing mode is a bit…tiresome, but running more than one story at once is surprisingly fulfilling! On with the drama!

**Day 4-7 – Introspection**

**Day 4**

_Dear Diary,_

_ WHY CAN I NOT CONTROL MY EMOTIONS? ESPECIALLY THEN, WHEN FUYUKI…FUYUKI'S WHOLE LIFE DEPENDED ON IT? WHY DO I LET MYSELF GET OUT OF CONTROL? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?_

Momoka Nishizawa slammed her diary shut and threw it on the ground. Tears sliding down her face once more, she knocked the chair she was sitting on to the side and hurled herself into bed. Squishing her face into the pillow was all she could do to ease the pain.

Fuyuki was alive and well, no doubt, but the seed of evil in Momoka's heart had taken over her emotions and subsequently, his as well. If Fuyuki even remembered who she was, he sure hadn't shown it. A fate worth than death for Momoka, and it pained her to have such thoughts. Sometimes, she wished Fuyuki had never gotten up from the table. Such unbidden wishes horrified her.

Guilty to her own feelings and selfishness, Momoka had confined herself to her room for the remainder of the afternoon, and as the hours stretched on, into the next day. She drank little, ate even less, and did nothing.

**Day 5**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Why do I keep writing down my feelings? They obviously mean nothing, and nobody will ever read this. In the end, the only person who will be happy to see me after this will be the man who comes to bury my body for money._

_ Actually, something curious has been happening recently. Ever since Fuyuki was reborn, my dark side hasn't shown itself. Maybe Fuyuki took her with him? That's doubtful because I can still feel her inside of me. Faint, but I know she's still there._

_ My only companion, so it seems._

It was an unusually chilly morning. From under the warm covers of her bed, Momoka looked longingly at the birds who circled so elatedly in the air despite the cold. If only she could be as brave in the face of adversary. Not to say that Dark Fuyuki was just a cold wind. Natsumi and even the frogs feared the boy when he was angry, and now, that anger had become his entire existence.

_I wonder where he is._ Momoka had long given up the searching. _I'm lazy._ The truth was nothing of the sort. She was scared of Dark Fuyuki and the power he carried with him.

As Momoka whiled away another day in bed, something stirred within her; a dark pulse trying to gain access to her heart and mind. Disgustedly, she thrust both into a mental cage and locked the door. Darkness would not control her again. It had already caused too many problems.

**Day 6**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Will this be my life from now on? Lying in my bed until my muscles atrophy and my bones disintegrate? I have nothing to write because nothing happened today. Just like nothing happened the day before._

_ You know, most people write diary entries at night when they can talk about the day, but I prefer to write them in the morning. That way, I can reflect on the previous day and predict what exciting thing will happen today. I use the term "exciting" very loosely, because the only exciting thing happening today is wondering what the breakfast will be. Toast maybe? Sausage? I'm personally in the mood for soup for some reason. Why am I writing this?_

_ I'm a selfish person. That is why I need to be locked up like a wild animal in the zoo, only this time, the animal chooses to lock herself up._

_ For better or worse, Fuyuki is alive and well, noticeably stronger than before to boot. I'm happy! I just liked him the way before, that's all. That's why I stay in my room, because if I met him, I might want him to change back, and I bet he's really happy now. YAY!_

Momoka carefully closed her diary and put it back into her desk, a euphoric smile plastered on her face. Walking to the window, she threw it open and inhaled an intoxicating breath of fresh air. For the first time in three days, she allowed her mind to wander. All of a sudden a pain in which she had never felt gripped her heart. It was unstoppable, all consuming, a tsunami of feelings. Collapsing to her knees, she gripped the front of her dress as tears streamed onto the floor.

_** You shouldn't lie to your diary you know.**_

__Momoka gasped as she realized that it was her dark side that was speaking to her. _What is she doing? She's never seemed…so real…_

_**Careful what you think. I can hear everything.**_

___What do you want?_

_**You've stayed in your room long enough.**_

___Huh? What business do you have ordering me to go out?_

_**Listen, smartass, I'm just as much you as you are you. While it disgusts me to say I have anything in common with a wimp, we both love Fuyuki and that bonds us almost like…sisters.**_

___Why are we talking so much now?_

_**Though I have no idea why, Fuyuki somehow prefers your lame shyness to my amazing bold personality. During your "Get-Fuyuki" plans, I generally stood aside at the climax to let you win him over. If I appeared I guess it would ruin the mood. Failure after failure, I became more and more bitter, but it was always a relief when you decided to try again. That's probably the only thing I admire about you.**_

___That really doesn't answer my question. You've never seemed this close to me, but yet, you've never been so far away! I thought you were just another part of me, but it seems like you're a completely different person!_

_**Idiot! I am a COMPLETELY different entity from YOU! I just suppress my consciousness…for Fuyuki's sake of course.**_

___You're after Fuyuki!_

_**Are you freakin kidding? Keep up, girl! Your love of Fuyuki gave me power and form! You always had mood swings and unnatural strength, but loving Fuyuki so completely gave birth to a second consciousness.**_

___Impossible! Who are you?_

_**Because you are SO INFERNALLY SHY, your dark desires and enormous amounts of angst, envy, and loathing crashed together in your mind and I was "born". To put it simply, I'm everything that you were too ashamed to show.**_

___W-what do you want from me?_

Momoka backed up before realizing trying to escape an enemy that was inside her was futile. Thinking back over the years, Dark Momoka's revelation seemed to make sense, but it was all so improbable.

And yet…

_**Alright. Tell me why you haven't left your room in three days?**_

___Well, you already know! I think I might try to change Fuyuki back to the way he was! He's probably happier now without me anyway._

_**Liar.**_

__The response was so swift and accurate that Momoka couldn't suppress a gasp. Of course it was a lie, she knew it all along, but to have it said so candidly...

_**You really shouldn't get into the habit of lying to me. I can see your deepest thoughts, your most minute emotions.**_

___Well, if you know EVERYTHING, then why question me? Leave me alone! Don't speak to me ever again!_

Momoka ran over to her bed and jumped in, throwing the covers over her head and curling up in a fetal position. She waited with baited breath for Dark Momoka to speak again. When she didn't, Momoka allowed herself a small breath of relief and eased the pent up tensions in her muscles. After barely moving for three days, she had to admit, that bit of activity felt very good.

There was a knock at the door and breakfast was slipped through the slot. Bacon and eggs with a frothing glass of ice cold orange juice. As she ate, she wondered vaguely about Fuyuki's whereabouts. _Will he ever visit me?_

After finishing breakfast and sliding the empty platter back through the slot, Momoka spied her book bag. _Perhaps I should do my homework? _ Biology was not an easy subject for her and it took a few hours of clumsy reading before she was able to fill out the worksheets. I didn't help that she had been neglecting the work for the past three days. _Fuyuki was always a pro at biology. I wish he was here to help me…_

Homework was done, so Momoka flicked on the TV. The program was about a breakthrough in satellite technology that might allow scientists to explore distant worlds. _Fuyuki would love this! I bet he's watching it right now._

_**Is that all you can think about? Fuyuki?**_

__The glass of water Momoka was holding clattered to the ground as she started, water spraying out of her mouth. _I thought I told you plain enough last time to NEVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN!_

_**When will you stop lying to yourself?**_

__Momoka was about to respond that she wasn't lying to herself, but the words wouldn't come. It was as if such a blatant lie was ashamed to roll of her tongue.

_**I can help you get back Fuyuki, you know. He's not fine. He's not having a good time. His soul was corrupted when he left, and I'm sure it still is. If the Hinata Household isn't already in flames, it will be soon if we don't hurry.**_

__It was the truth. Finally, a shred of genuine thought. After three days of delusion, it was like a gust of cool air on a sweltering day. A cool wind full of bees. The truth hurt just as much as it helped. Shakily, Momoka got back on her feet.

_I…I guess we can see how he is. It shouldn't hurt right?_

The only reply was a sigh of relief.

Paul was surprised to see his charge downstairs and didn't make any efforts to hide his pleasure. Smiling broadly, he swept his hand toward the dining room telling her that tea was ready if she liked. Momoka pointed at the door. Paul's face sobered up as he walked over and opened it up. A blast of light made Momoka shield her face for a second. Squaring her jaw, the girl determinedly walked through the front door and out into the world.

As Paul closed the door, a single tear rolled down his cheek. She was brave; she would go far. Proud beyond words, the butler sent up a prayer for her safety.

Momoka wasn't expecting the warm welcome she received upon arriving at the Hinata house. Upon seeing her, Aki burst into tears and hurried her in, forcing a glass of juice into her hand.

"You got that stupid frog to bring him back! What did you do to him?" the voice belonged to Natsumi who looked happier then Momoka had ever seen her.

"We heard what happened with your dark emotions or something like that," began Aki, laying her cup gently on the table, "and I just want to say that I don't blame you. The main thing is that Fuyuki is alive and healthy. This dark personality or whatever…it can be fixed. Momoka, you have this family's thanks."

Momoka could only nod. _I don't think I could have forgiven this fast…after all, it was my fault that Fuyuki needed to be revived in the first place…_

_**What do you expect from Fuyuki's family?**_

"Unfortunately," continued Aki, "Fuyuki hasn't actually come home yet, so we haven't seen him for ourselves. Kururu told us everything though.

"Um…" it seemed shameful to ask, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Aki shook her head earnestly, "You've done your part, now I, as his mother, have to do mine. If you want my advice, just go to school like life is normal. Fuyuki is still Fuyuki under all that corruption, and knowing my son, he won't give up easily. I'll give you a call if anything happens."

_**What she means is that she doesn't want any more of OUR brand of "help". However, acting normal is good advice.**_

___When did you become my consciousness?_

_**Hey! No need to be so irritable. Just shut up and do what the woman asks you. She's gonna be our mother-in-law in the future, right?**_

___Fine._

**Day 7**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Today I'm going back to school! Though it will be lonely without Fuyuki, it'll be better than lying in bed all day to be sure! I wonder where he is right now…_

Since Momoka wasn't going to walk Fuyuki to school, she rode the limousine all the way up to the gates. Stepping carefully over the puddles by the curb, she got out and bid Paul a good day. The air was crisp and a chill sent shivers up Momoka's spine. Pushing down her skirt, Momoka began the short walk to the school building.

Few people greeted her while she took off her outdoor shoes; even less greeted her as she climbed the stairs to her classroom. Without Fuyuki beside her, Momoka discovered exactly how many friends she had. Nearly none.

Sitting down in homeroom, Momoka placed her face in her textbook. There was nobody to talk to and nothing to look forward to. Even the sky had become grim, as if somebody had splashed the entire grayscale on the clouds.

Sadly, Momoka watched as people she had never talked to filed into the room.

_**Jeez…you really suck don't you?**_

___Huh? Oh, it's just you. Why don't you leave me alone…_

_**You should be on your knees thanking me for talking to you. It must be so boring having no friends, yeah?**_

___Shut up._

_**Whatever.**_

__Class started. It was dull and lifeless. Momoka stared dimly at the clock, her eyes watching the second hand rotate all too slowly around the face. About five minutes in, the door shot open like a bullet. The bang made everyone jump.

Momoka's heart skipped a beat. It was Fuyuki.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the teacher, "Class has already started!"

"Come on! What's the big deal?" It was the voice of Fuyuki and not the darkness, but the words were not his.

"W-what's the big deal?" sputtered the enraged teacher, "You can't just show up late to class and expect to just waltz in!"

"Well, it's not like whatever you're saying is that important anyway…or interesting at that." The other students laughed nervously.

"I used to think you were a good kid," murmured the teacher, his voice dangerously low, "You will see the headmaster for this disrespect."

Momoka watched in horror as Fuyuki's face contorted for a second, veins bulging dangerously in his temple. It was over before anybody else noticed. Fuyuki's face relaxed save for a superior smile. "Please, teacher, don't you dare lecture me on respect. I am superior here, don't forget that. I'll let you off this time, but watch the way you speak to me."

The rest of the class was deadly silent. They knew Fuyuki had gone too far. With a cry, the teacher lunged at Fuyuki, hands outstretched.

Momoka blinked and missed it. The teacher was sprawled on the ground, a red hand print on the left cheek. Fuyuki quietly walked to his seat next to Momoka and sat down.

The girl couldn't resist a glance at her love. Silently, Fuyuki slipped her a piece of paper. Heart beating so fast that she thought it might burst out her chest; she unfolded the paper and read:

_At first break, come to the roof. ALONE!_


	6. Evil's Ambition

I'm sorry that I let this fic go un-updated for so long. I planned to finish my other series first…but it's taking a bit longer than I anticipated. I figured that I should at least put up another chapter or two of this.

**Evil's Ambition**

**Day 7**

_Dear Diary,_

_ I don't know what to do! What's going to happen? Oh…um…maybe I should back up a bit. I'm in the middle of class, and Fuyuki, or at least Fuyuki's form, gave me a note. He wants me to go up to the roof of the school alone during break! I want to think that Fuyuki's going to apologize to me, but after what he told me at our last meeting, that he wants to kill me, I'm know that isn't what's up._

_ I decided that I'm not going to use you to write down my lies anymore, so here goes. I'm scared. I'm really scared of everything these days. I'm afraid that he hates me, that he'll never go back to normal, that somewhere inside, the good Fuyuki who I love is suffering and trapped._

_ Why am I writing my diary in the middle of class? The teacher is talking, but I can't concentrate because Fuyuki keeps looking at me with this strange grin on his face. It makes me feel weird. All I can do now is hide behind my textbooks and write down my feelings. How pathetic._

_Oh crap. There's the bell. Is it first break already?_

With a start, Momoka slammed her diary shut as Dark Fuyuki stood up abruptly. Keeping her eyes determinately straight, she clenched her teeth as he ambled slowly over to her desk. He took one long look at her, face expressionless, then turned and sauntered casually towards the door.

_**Damn…now that was weird.**_

___I know. You think that we should go? I mean, up to the roof?_

_**You know I don't like following orders, but it doesn't look like we have a freakin choice. You saw what he did to that teacher. Sorry fool is probably too scared to report him to the authorities at this point.**_

___Yeah, you're right. It'd be safer to play along right now. Let's go._

As Momoka hurried to the sliding door of her classroom, her thoughts wandered to the current developments with her darker self.

_If what Dark Momoka says is true, and she's just the pent of feelings of myself, she can't be all that bad, right? Come to think of it, without Fuyuki to talk to, I'd be all alone in this if not for her._

_**You know I heard all of that, and by the way, I'm not "just" your pent up feelings.**_

___Yeah, yeah, SORRY. I feel like my privacy has been violated._

_**I heard that too.**_

___Shut up._

With a grating noise, Momoka slid open the large metal door that led to the roof. Usually, a few groups of friends would eat lunch up there since the wind was always so cool, but nobody ever came up during first break.

Brushing the hair out of her eyes, she squinted in the bright sunlight as her eyes scanned the roof. Two lonely benches and a table sat out in the middle, with carefully pruned shrubbery wrapping around the perimeter. Behind the plants were seven foot tall fences. Ample protection to keep strong gusts of wind from blowing students off the roof.

A glint of silver caught her eye. It appeared to be a metal cup, sitting alone on the wooden table.

___That's odd. Nobody ever comes up here before lunch, and the roof is always cleaned after school. It must have something to do with Fuyuki._

Against her better judgment, Momoka stepped out from the dark safety of the door frame and walked out into the open. Almost immediately, a blast of cool air picked up, sending bits of sand into her eyes. Tearing up, Momoka hurriedly wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her uniform. When she finally could see again without blinking rapidly, Momoka hurried over to the table. The cup was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the familiar metallic grating sound of the door closing echoed over the smooth roof. Turning sharply, Momoka saw the silver cup flying towards her face before everything went black.

"You know…Fuyuki really is a handy little thing."

Momoka let out a long groan. Her head felt like a drum set in the aftermath of a heavy metal concert. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and immediately shut them again as the bright light of a clear noon invaded the comfortable darkness behind her lids.

"Fuyuki knew nobody would be up here at this time. He also knew that you would be attracted into the open by that cup. He really is a master tactician, you know."

"He's not working for you!" cried out Momoka, her voice sounding far less intimidating than she intended it, "Release him now!"

"Hey! I'm not the one lying helpless on the ground here. I could end your pitiful life here right now, but Fuyuki wants to have some fun first." Dark Fuyuki knelt down by Momoka's side. Weakly turning her head, Momoka squinted into the face of her love. His face looked so innocent and kind and the situation was so perfect that she had to remind herself that this wasn't one of her "Get-Fuyuki" plans.

Faintly, she heard the sound of the bell ring.

_I got to get away from here…but…my head…it hurts so much._

_**I'm guessing you want me to take charge.**_

___Yes…please._

_**Fine. I'm just gonna…huh?**_

___What? What's going on?_

"Oh? What's that matter?" Fuyuki's clear, strong voice cut through her conversation like a sharp katana, "Can your Dark form not take over? Pity."

"W-what have you done to me?" Momoka asked dimly as Fuyuki's face swam and blurred before her.

"Not much. I had Kururu make a potion that would keep you in whatever form you are in now. Since you're physically weak, you will stay like that, though your head injury will heal."

"Why…would Kururu…"

"Don't think badly of him. I had both hands on his throat the whole time he was working. Stupid Keronian had no choice."

_**That jerk! Screw the hands on his throat. He sold us out!**_

__With no more strength to go on, Momoka's last memories were of a distant bang and shouting before her mind slipped and the graceful embrace of darkness enveloped her. Very strange.

**Day 38**

Momoka awoke with a start. For a second, she laid still, brain blissfully empty. Then, like a leak in the hull of a ship, the memories began trickling back in, before suddenly turning into a raging torrent. Suddenly, she began to panic.

_Where am I? What happened?_

_**Chill.**_

__The frank and uninterested response calmed her at once. Momoka closed her eyes for a moment to get everything straight. The last thing she remembered would be…Fuyuki. Of course, it was Fuyuki. She chucked quietly in her mind as she realized how ironic her situation was. Fuyuki was always the last thought as she went to sleep, and this time, it was because he had knocked her out.

As she opened her eyes again, head a bit clearer than it had been a minute ago, she realized that she was lying in her own bed. A table lamp illuminated her dark room, casting a warm and cozy glow over her comfortable blankets. "I guess it's night time. I wonder how many hours I was out."

While she spoke to nobody in particular, at her voice, the sudden sounds of shouting could be heard outside the door. "What is that racket?"

Without knocking, Paul burst into the room, a trail of tears flowing from his eyes. "Ojou-sama, you've recovered!" As Momoka looked dumbfounded upon the wreck of her typically stoic butler, he moved quickly to her side and applied a cooling towel to her forehead. Even though she felt fine, the cool blanket felt amazing. A cup of water was also thrust into her hand. Realizing with a start that her throat was beyond parched, she drank in large gulps.

Paul backed off and cleared his throat, wringing his hands in what he hoped looked like shame, but it was hard since his face was positively glowing. "Um…Ojou-sama, you'll be happy to know that your affairs have been taken care of in your absence. The manor is running at top efficiency and a private tutor has been hired to assist you in catching up with what you missed at school. Only when you're ready, of course. I must insist that you rest for a day or two before you try anything even mildly strenuous. I must apologize for being so lax in my care of you."

"Paul, what are you talking about? I don't need a tutor to catch up on one days worth of work! Not even a day…I got to first break before…then again, I wasn't really paying attention this morning…"

"This morning? Ojou-sama, today marks the one month mark for the time you have been unconscious."

Momoka froze as her brain went into overdrive. A month?

Paul sighed and sat down at the foot of her bed. It was only then that Momoka noticed that Paul's right arm was bandaged. As he looked at her kindly, a lump formed in her throat. Somehow, he had never seemed as old as right now. The feelings of relief that had relaxed his features made him look like a normal grandpa.

"I should explain," began Paul, "I assume you want to know what happened."

"Yes."

**Day 7**

Paul looked at his watch and then back out into the empty courtyard. As the last ray of feeble light retreated behind the trees, the street lights lining the manor parking lot flickered on automatically. A grim look of determination gripped Paul's face as his gut feelings turned horribly sour. His normally benign features wrinkled somehow making him look like a completely different person. With a fluid, time-honed motion, he grabbed the small communicator hidden in a flap on his belt and sounded the alarm.

All at once, the blazing lights of the Nishizawa manor turned red and a stream of foot-soldiers carrying heavy machine guns and outfitted in futuristic polymers streamed out from two doors on the ground floor of the giant building. In less than a minute, an army of over 500 stood before Paul, awaiting the orders that they had trained the better part of their life for.

"As you all know," shouted Paul, "Young Momoka has been under tremendous stress recently. Now, on her first day back to school in awhile, she has gone missing. According to her teachers, she disappeared during first break along with Fuyuki. You also have been briefed to the status of Fuyuki. This is a dangerous mission, men. Search and rescue at any cost."

A hand shot up near the middle of the group. "Sir, if we have an encounter with Fuyuki, are we authorized to use lethal force?"

Paul froze for a second. His military experience and instinct both screamed for blood, but his heart knew that Momoka could not go on without the boy. Knowing it was her fault would be worse. "No. If you see Fuyuki, disarm and incapacitate. Do not, under any circumstance, kill him."

"YES SIR!"

As the congregation in front of Paul quickly divided into ten platoons, a figure wrapped in darkness caught his eye. "HALT!" he yelled out, causing his men to spin around, guns drawn.

It was Natsumi, and in her arms, Momoka. Seeing their target, the soldiers flicked the safeties back on their guns with relief, but Paul was livid, screaming: "NO! She could be working with him! Halt at once!"

Natsumi ignored him and staggered a few more feet. Not knowing what to expect, the platoons took several steps back and fired a few warning shots at her feet. Natsumi blinked, as if seeing the rows of armed men for the first time, and took one more step into the yellow beam of a street light before collapsing. As she fell, Momoka slipped out of her arms and lightly hit the ground, Natsumi absorbing most of the blow.

It was only then, with the pale glow washing over her features, that Paul realized how bad Natsumi's condition was. Her face was gashed up with what looked like animal claw scratches. A deep dark circle surrounded her left eye where she had been punched, and the right one was just dark with exhaustion. The girl's right arm looked hurriedly bandaged: the dressing had all but slipped off, revealing a deep looking laceration, and both her knees were bleeding and scraped.

Knowing how great of a fighter Natsumi was, Paul wondered with a tinge of horror what monster could have done that to her. Yet, it seemed that she had rescued Momoka and for that, the Nishizawa family would forever owe her a debt.

"Carry them both inside and have the doctor see them."

**Day 8**

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" Natsumi lay prostrated in front of a shocked Paul, tears falling in a storm from the girl's salve covered eyes, "I should have watched Fuyuki more closely. He escaped my watch for a second and…it was all I could do to make Fuyuki retreat. He had already done his…his work on Momoka."

As Natsumi waited, teeth clenched in self-loathing, for the tirade of insults she knew would soon follow, she felt a rough hand on the back of her shirt. Surprised, she couldn't speak for a second as Paul forced her into a sitting position. "First of all, you're not in charge of Fuyuki, but I'm in charge of Momoka. This is my fault, not yours. Second, she might not even be alive if not for you. You have my thanks. Not just mine, either. Baio would personally thank you if he weren't on the other side of the world."

**Day 38**

"What then?" asked Momoka.

"At that point, the doctor came down from your room. He told me that the only injury you sustained was a mild concussion, but your body's healing mechanisms had been vastly slowed for some reason. You would heal like normal, but it would take my time longer."

"That potion that Fuyuki drugged me with!"

"Is that what it was? Natsumi was horrified and researched for days into what could do something like that to you."

"Did she find anything?"

"No. In fact, after she had sufficiently healed, she disappeared."

"Is she OK?"

"I don't know. So consumed by guilt and grief was she that I'm not sure if she was mentally sound when she left. A search has been going on for about a week, but nobody can find her. "

"What about the aliens? Can't they do something?"

"We can't find them either. When we sent a scout over to ask for help, he reported that the Hinata residence had been burned down in what the police suspect was arson. Everything's been so…not normal lately."

"Fuyuki…"

"That's what we're thinking."

**Day 39**

It was past midnight when Paul left and Momoka got time to herself to think.

_**So…we're going after him, right?**_

___Ah! Oh sorry. I forgot about you._

_**Try to not do that so often. So, are we going?**_

___What do you want me to do? I can't do anything right!_

_**Well, it's not going to help if you just lie here like an idiot. DO SOMETHING!**_

___WELL WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, HUH? MY BODY IS WEAK STILL! I CAN BARELY STAND UP! NATSUMI WENT CRAZY WHEN I DIDN'T WAKE UP! FUYUKI IS STRONGER THAN ANYTHING EVEN YOU HAVE EVER SEEN! FUYUKI'S MOM AND THE ALIENS ARE GONE! MAYBE HIDING, MAYBE DEAD! YOU HEAR ME? DEAD, AND BECAUSE OF ME! BECAUSE I COULDN'T CONTROL MYSELF! YOU…YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU THINK YOU DO, BUT YOU DON'T, SO JUST…JUST…LEAVE ME ALONE! Please…please…just…_

A moment passed in strained silence as Momoka waited for her Darker self to respond. When she didn't, Momoka slid back under her blanket.

_I…I can be strong without you._

As she thought this, unbidden tears began to flow from the corner of her eyes. She tried to fight it, but it was impossible. Flipping around, Momoka beat her pillow, bit her blanket and buried her face in a plush animal as she scrubbed her face. She grabbed a tissue box, but it wasn't enough. Soon, a small mountain of soaked tissue lay at the foot of her bed.

As the stream of water slowly began to ebb, Momoka lay back on her pillow, hot and sweaty, breathing hard.

_I needed that._

_** You did.**_

___Damn you! I thought I told you to-_

_**I don't care. Look…the Momoka I know wouldn't give up. She never gives up and that's the only thing I admire in her. So…so don't make me ashamed to be in your body! Fight!**_

___But…_

_**I'll have none of that. Get up.**_

___What will I do though? _But even as she thought that, she felt her legs slide out of bed. As Momoka put weight on her legs for the first time in a month, her muscles failed her, sending her crashing to the ground.

_**Well…that went better than expected.**_

___Shut it._

Struggling to work her legs, Momoka was suddenly yanked up to a standing position.

"Thanks Paul, I slipped and-"

It was Fuyuki. Standing above her, he had a near animalistic look of greedy longing that shook Momoka to the core.

_**Oh, crap.**_

__"Hello, Momoka. Did you miss me?"

The honest answer was "yes", but Momoka snarled with contempt. "I miss Fuyuki, not Fuyuki's body with an evil son of a-"

"Funny you would mention Fuyuki's body," smirked the boy, flinging Momoka back onto her bed with one hand, "and don't even think of calling your guards. They're all unconscious. Knocked them out as easily as I broke Paul's arm the last time we fought."

"You…YOU!"

"What are you sputtering about? You're really pitiful, you know." Laughing cruelly, Fuyuki climbed onto the bed himself and cradled Momoka's face.

"S-s-stop! What do you think you're doing?" Momoka began to blush in spite of herself.

"I could break your neck so easily…and you're enjoying this? Ha! You're really a sick girl, Momoka. Fuyuki has interesting tastes…or maybe it was just the money."

"What are you…"

"I embody everything that Fuyuki doesn't show on the surface. That of course includes his lust."

Finally understanding what was about to happen, Momoka slipped in between Fuyuki's legs and slid off the bed. Her legs responded better this time, and she staggered towards the door.

_I'm never going to make it._

_**Fight! FIGHT!**_

__It was too late. With a slam, Fuyuki pushed Momoka against a wall and gazed deeply into her eyes. Momoka was paralyzed and a crimson hue slowly began to dominate her pale face. This was what she had been dreaming about for years, but…

"NOT LIKE THIS!"

**Note: This fic won't go into a higher rating category. Don't worry.**


	7. Status Update

**Message to all Readers: **I haven't updated Love Unceasing in quite some time now. I'm not going to give excuses since I know you don't want to hear them, and instead, cut to the chase.

The next chapter is the final one, but it's going to be quite long. In the beginning I planned to have 10 chapters, but knowing how I get sidetracked, I figured that one huge chapter would be better than a few smaller ones at the end.

Just to give a deadline so I actually keep my word:

**MAY 8****th** is the absolute latest I will post this chapter.

Thank you for sticking with me. It will be worth it.


	8. Love Unceasing

**Note: **It is still May 8th where I live.

**Love Unceasing**

**Day 39**

Momoka struggled to maintain control as Fuyuki edged ever closer. When had he started wearing cologne? Was he even? Whatever it was, he smelled absolutely heavenly! His eyes sparkled with a certain feral elegance and his lips seemed to glow with a mysterious allure. As he gripped her shoulders even tighter, Momoka could feel his warmth. It was beyond intoxicating, it was-

_**What are you doing? Snap out of it!**_

_What?_

Suddenly, Momoka remembered where she was and adrenaline kicked in. Using her knee, she knocked Fuyuki off her and made a desperate leap for the door. Once again, it proved futile. In a flash, she found herself back on her bed.

"I'm surprised! I never suspected that you could resist me."

_**Take that! We're an unbeatable team!**_

__Momoka would have responded if she had any strength left. Grinning in victory, Fuyuki began to slip his hand underneath her shirt. Suddenly, she had an idea. Searching deep inside her heart for that hidden reserve of energy, she pushed up and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Surprised, Fuyuki's calculated motions faltered, giving Momoka a chance to gain leverage. She pushed him out of her bed, lips still locked with his, and backed slowly toward the left side of her room. It wasn't long before the shock was gone, and Fuyuki gratefully reciprocated. Their lips tangled together as a cool breeze ruffled the boy's hair.

It was over in an instant. Momoka broke the kiss and with everything she could muster, pushed him away. Angrily, Fuyuki made a grab for her shoulder, but it was too late. He stumbled backwards and flipped over the balcony railing, falling three stories to the ground.

Gasping, Momoka sunk to the ground and wept bitterly. Every time she moved, she could feel Fuyuki's lips on hers. Every time she blinked, she saw Fuyuki's horrified face as he fell, for it was burned onto her tear-soaked lids. As the world spiraled in front of her, she felt her body being lifted from the ground and Paul's voice shouting for her. It was all very far away. Was there really an existence outside the pain? Maybe not.

**Day 40**

Momoka awoke with a start to the chirping birds. It took her little time to realize she was in her bed. Moving slightly to the side, a cold towel fell off her head. A distinct feeling of déjà vu passed through her mind and she allowed herself a small grin.

"Thank you once again, Paul. I couldn't survive without y-"

Momoka gasped as she stared up into the compassionate eyes of Aki. A thousand things passed through Momoka's mind in a minute.

_I'm sorry for hurting Fuyuki._

_ Where have you been?_

_ I'm sorry for hurting Fuyuki._

_ Did everyone get out of your house all right?_

_ I'm sorry for hurting Fuyuki._

So cluttered was her brain, that nothing could possibly pass through her mouth. Smiling sadly, Aki reached out her hand smoothed down Momoka's hair. It was a small act of kindness, but to the girl, it meant everything in the world. Aki didn't hate her. After everything that she had done, all the hardships she had inadvertently put her through, she had still been forgiven.

"Don't worry, Momoka. We can solve this together."

"W-w-we-we" the younger blubbered incoherently while the older's smile never wavered. Momoka felt empty. She didn't deserve any of it.

"If you're worried about Fuyuki, don't be. I'm not sure what happened last night, but Fuyuki has once again disappeared."

"B-but I-I-I pushed him o-off, and then…"

"I heard about that, and I don't blame you. You did what you needed to do. I would never forgive myself if Fuyuki actually accomplished what he had come here to do."

"How do you know about that?"

"He tied me up before burning down my house. He told me his plans for you. Luckily, Kururu had a change of heart and untied me before the entire place crumbled. The frogs are off somewhere trying to find a way to reverse Fuyuki's state while hiding from him."

"Oh." It was stupid and obvious, but it was all Momoka could say. The situation seemed so incredibly hopeless.

The door slid open again and Natsumi walked in.

"Hey! You're awake! Good!" walking over, Natsumi pinched Momoka's nose, causing her to open her mouth, and poured a foul smelling liquid down her throat. Sputtering in indignation, Momoka fell back onto the bed.

"What was **THAT**?" she yelled, suddenly full of energy. There was a pause, and then Momoka knew exactly what he just happened. "That was the antidote to whatever Fuyuki gave me, wasn't it?"

"Yep! Straight from Kururu himself."

Momoka took the time to thank Aki and Natsumi, and to apologize for her actions once again. For the past few days, Natsumi had been traveling with her mother to throw Fuyuki off the trail of the frogs. It would take Kururu awhile to create a device that could separate something as intimate as a second consciousness from a living body, and up to now, Fuyuki's main priority had been to find and kill all five of them.

"We just came over to ask you if you wanted to join us. You're as close to Fuyuki as we are (in a different way, of course), and we felt as if you would want to help."

"I was against it at first," added Natsumi, "This _is_ family business, and I didn't want to get you hurt, but my mom is right. You deserve to be a part of this."

Momoka struggled to make sense of everything that was going on. Not only were the two Hinatas not furious with her, but they cared about her safety. Perking up a little, Momoka slid out of bed.

"I will! I'll do anything you want! Anything to get Fuyuki back!"

"That's the spirit!"

Paul suggested packing weapons. He wanted to go with her as well, and the whole army if she'd let him. Momoka declined politely, looking at Paul's arm in a cast. This was something she had to do without his help.

As the sun began to set, casting an orange haze over the proud Nishizawa estate, Momoka, Natsumi, and Aki departed from the sprawling grounds and reentered reality. The streetlights flickered to life as the cool chill of dusk assured Momoka that what she was feeling was really real.

"What exactly are we doing anyway?"

_**Yeah! Seriously! What, are we just gonna walk aimlessly all night?**_

__Natsumi let out a huge sigh and turned back to Momoka, smiling sadly. She pushed the hair out of her face and turned forward again. "Look, I'm sorry, Momoka. I guess in all the commotion, we didn't even brief you on our plans."

"That's OK!" Momoka answered hurriedly, "I mean, you two have been under so much pressure and I…I haven't really…"

It was Aki's turn to look at the girl behind her. "Don't humble yourself too much. You've been under enough stress as well. This must be really hard to take."

Momoka nearly burst: _Really hard to take? REALLY HARD TO TAKE? I'm amazed that those two haven't killed me for all the stress I've caused them!_

_** I'm amazed your mind hasn't exploded from all that guilt! Dang, it's making even me sick!**_

___What do you know about guilt!_

_**You idiot, if you want to go into it like that, I AM GUILT. YOUR GUILT!**_

___…_

_**What? No witty comeback or anything?**_

___I'm sorry._

_**Not this again.**_

_No…really. I'm sorry. If I hadn't been so stupid, maybe you wouldn't be…_

_**Wouldn't be…what?**_

___I…never mind._

_**Well that was pointless. Well whatever; but just remember this: no matter what happens between Fuyuki and whoever the hell else we have to go up against, we're sisters. It may seem weird to you, and trust me, it's weird to me too, but when you overpowered that shell of a man and pushed him off the balcony, I felt respect. If we're ever going to get through this, we need to work together. I know that we've not always been on good terms, but, for today, are we partners?**_

___How can you say that?_

_**Easy. You need me, and I need you. We're unbalanced otherwise.**_

___Do you trust me?_

_**I trust you…I also trust myself. Same thing, really.**_

___I…do you really mean that?_

_**Look inside yourself. I mean every word.**_

___You're right…but partners for a day? How about partners for life?_

_**Damn you Momoka, if that's the way you want it, then for life it is!**_

__"YEAH!"

Natsumi and Aki both jumped, and Momoka blushed a deep red when she realized what she had accidentally yelled out loud.

"Where were we again?" asked Momoka in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

"I was going to explain our plan, but you lapsed into an odd silence," explained Aki, "I figured you were thinking really hard about something. God knows we've had too much to think deeply on recently."

"No, I…" Momoka realized how strange it would sound to say she was talking to herself, "…actually I was thinking hard. Yeah."

Aki grinned and sat down on a bench, prompting the two younger girls to stop. Momoka blinked as her brain fully tumbled back onto the streets. It was truly night now, and the baleful glow of the streetlights made every bush and parking meter a bit spookier.

"Do you want to know a secret, Momoka?"

The recipient of the question nodded back.

"We have no plan."

"What?"

A cold wind whipped through the trees, causing them to rustle. The cars on the road thundered by, oblivious of the plight they passed by in a hurry. A distinct shiver crept up Momoka's spine as she realized that Aki and Natsumi weren't smiling anymore. Their faces bore the weight of many sleepless nights, and as Momoka looked closer, she saw many cuts on their arms and legs.

"We've never had a plan," said Natsumi in a near whisper, "We're out of ideas. In the beginning, we…we had hope. I confronted Fuyuki, I told him that I was his sister, and that he should come home. He laughed and ran at me with a knife. If mom didn't save me when she did…"

Momoka took two steps back in fear as a tear ran down Aki's face. Her expression was empty, but the lines on her face still cried out in anguish. It was such a quick dramatic change from mere minutes ago, that it left Momoka horrified. As the two women looked at the ground, it appeared as if their whole bodies sagged.

"I considered every option…" Aki continued, "Every single one."

_**Oh crap. We're bait, aren't we.**_

__Momoka stared into Aki's insane face, and felt as if the world was spinning around her. She wanted to be somewhere else…anywhere else. Turning, she took three quick steps away before Natsumi had her by the shoulders.

"We can't let you go," she whispered, "We need you to attract him."

"HELP!"

Momoka yelped only once, and Aki was in her face. So twisted was her expression, that the young girl found it impossible to cry out again.

Suddenly, it was all over. Aki's face relaxed and she slumped down to the ground. Natsumi did the same and her grip loosened, allowing Momoka to free herself.

"Are…are you alright?"

They both had pulse, but they were lost in a deep sleep.

_I guess the used up the last of their energy._

_**Rotten, lousy liars!**_

___No…they were just lost, I think._

After carefully laying the two Hinatas on the bench, Momoka decided to move on. Aimlessly, she trudged along a street she didn't know the name of. She had no idea why, but she felt as if she had to keep moving.

Momoka blinked sharply. Where was she? Where had her legs taken her to? It was the hallway of what looked like a school. She had been so lost in her own thoughts, that she didn't even remember entering. As she passed classroom after empty classroom, she began looking around for clues. The pale moon shown in from the many windows, making the dust she stirred up from walking swirl around her in what appeared to be a whirlwind of white.

As she placed her hand on the cool wood door, she felt a certain familiarity. This was not her current class, that she could determine for sure. Suddenly, without warning, she saw the small heads of an entire class pressed up against the glass. Their faces were curious, some scornful, some with admiration. The vision faded and Momoka knew where she was.

"This…this is my old classroom. This is the spot where I met Fuyuki for the first time. This is where I fell in love with him!"

She saw Fuyuki walking toward her down the hall, and suddenly, she felt very small again. Smiling, she massaged her eyes and waited for the vision to fade. It didn't.

"Fuyuki? Is that really you?"

"In the flesh, you damn whore! That fall hurt, but don't worry. I'll hurt you even more."

Quickly dashing forward, Fuyuki closed his hands around Momoka's throat and lifted her up off the ground. She offered no resistance.

_**Momoka! W-what are you doing! We're a team! Why are you blocking me!**_

___Thank you. Without your encouragement, I never would be able to do this…but this is something I need to face alone._

_**WHY THE HELL? YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!**_

___…_

_**ANSWER ME GODDAMIT! ANSWER!**_

___…_

_**Oh…oh god…**_

__Fuyuki smile was full of teeth. He stared hungrily into Momoka's eyes, waiting to soak up every second of her despair. "This is what I've been waiting for, you know. I want to see the hope of life sink out of your eyes. The suffering of you in particular will make the sweetest syrup!"

Momoka said nothing.

"Not even a word? I'm surprised! You already gave up, didn't you? That's why you came here!"

Momoka said nothing.

"You're pitiful, you know? So attached to one boy…so easy to break! Oh how enjoyable this has been. Shame it has to end so soon if I do say so myself."

Momoka looked up at these words. Her eyes locked with Fuyuki's and her mind focused on one thing.

"…Fu…Fuyuki…"

"AH! She speaks! Do go on! Beg for your life! You never know, it just might work!"

"I…I…" Momoka's mind was going blank, but she didn't care. If killing her would make Fuyuki happy, then Momoka had no greater wish.

"Speak up!"

With disgust, Fuyuki threw Momoka aside, causing her to slide back five feet down the hallway. Crossing the gap in two large strides, Fuyuki pulled back and kicked the girl hard in the side. She rolled over from the impact, but didn't scream in pain. She didn't even clutch her side.

Snarling in confusion, Fuyuki kicked her again and again, until the ground was soaked with her blood.

_**MOMOKA! MOMOKA! SOMEBODY! HELP ME! SOMEBODY!**_

__Her face was bruised, both eyes swollen, as Fuyuki beat her over and over, but even through her puffy lids, she never blinked. She just stared at him sadly. Finally, he gave her one last resounding kick, and she rolled across the room. As he approached her, Fuyuki saw to his horror, that a faint smile graced her bloody lips.

"WHY? WHY WON'T YOU CRY OUT! I BEAT YOU! I TORTURED YOU PAST ANY ENDURANCE AND STILL YOU SMILE! WHY? TELL ME!"

So parched and swollen was her body, that she couldn't possibly reply, but as Fuyuki stared into her eyes, he saw hope beyond measure.

"I can't put it into words," she seemed to be saying, "but there is nothing I value more than you. When I hurt you, there was nothing else more important than to see you smile again. So beat me some more! Torture me more if it makes you happy. I'm sorry for everything. I deserve your blows and more. I wish for your sake that I never entered your life…but I can never pass that through my lips."

"Why, Momoka, why?"

This time, she opened her mouth and with the last bit of her strength, replied, "B…because I love you."

"Ridiculous!" Fuyuki cried out, but as he said it, tears began to flow down his face.

"What! HOW? Where are these tears coming from?"

Terrified, Fuyuki tried to look away, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Momoka's face. Suddenly, he felt remorse. After burning down his own house, after trying to kill his own mother, after beating his own sister into submission, why now?

The answer was in the eyes. She loved him no matter who he was. True love has no boundaries as distinct as good or bad. True love has no boundaries at all. That is what coursed through every vein of Momoka's body, and it made her more powerful than any pain Fuyuki could inflict.

Falling to his knees, Fuyuki cradled Momoka's body as tears began to flow in earnest. Somewhere in a distant land, the frogs burst through the wall of the school.

He kissed her gently on the lips and backed away, allowing the frogs to approach her. He locked eyes with Kururu and the R&D specialist knew.

Fuyuki walked slowly out of the school and into the brisk night air. The stars winked at him with new promise, and even the trees seemed to bob up and down for him. Putting his hands in his pockets to shield them from the cold, he smiled at nothing in particular.

Under the care of the aliens, Momoka was going to be fine. That alone would give him comfort over the coming days. As he walked down the street, he felt a love grow in his chest to replace the evil that had once gripped him. A love untouched by pain, fear, and even time. A love unceasing. _  
_


End file.
